


The Meaning of Relaxation

by Janie Iscariot (TheOtherSarahJane)



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Drabble, F/M, Fluff, Papyrus Has Issues, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-21
Updated: 2016-09-21
Packaged: 2018-08-16 11:56:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8101531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheOtherSarahJane/pseuds/Janie%20Iscariot
Summary: A skeleton's work is never done! ...At least, not until your girlfriend has to drag your neurotic self to bed to keep you from working yourself to the bone.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Some quick Undyrus cuddles done for Day 9 of tumblr's Undertale Shipping Pride Month!

_Shuffle. Shuffle shuffle._

Undyne cracked an eye open. Dark. Not morning yet.

_Shuffle shuffle._

Quiet murmuring.

The sound bit at her ears until Undyne slowly awoke enough to decipher it.

 _Papyrus._

She pushed off the covers—too hot anyway, maybe that was partly why she woke up—and relished the cool of the hardwood floor on her bare feet. Trying not to sway too hard as she walked, she made her way over to the study and found that, sure enough, there was light flowing from the open door. The murmuring and shuffling grew more distinct as she approached, and a faint creak from the door swinging gently on its hinges announced her arrival to Papyrus.

He was standing at his desk, a bottle of wood polish and a dusty rag set off to the side, several stacks of paper and books placed haphazardly on the floor around him. When he heard the door open, he turned to face Undyne, blinking in surprise.

“UNDYNE?” He asked. “WHY ARE YOU UP SO LATE? I THOUGHT YOU WENT TO SLEEP.”

“I did,” she replied, rubbing her one good eye. “Cleaning your desk again? I thought you did this yesterday.”

“WELL, YES, BUT—” He turned back to the desk, wooden surface already gleaming clean where it wasn’t covered up by paperwork and stationery. Indeed, the rest of the study was immaculately organized and dusted, not a single mite of dirt or out-of-place bit of clutter to be found.

“I JUST…HAVE TO KEEP BUSY! A SKELETON’S WORK IS NEVER DONE.” He shot her a smile, but she had long ago learned to tell when he had that look in his eyes.

“Paps. It’s clean. Go to bed.”

“BED? SLEEP? DON’T BE SILLY, UNDYNE. I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR SLEEP. THERE’S SO MUCH LEFT TO DO, IF I STOP I MIGHT…”

He was smiling still, but his eyes were scrunching up nervously, and his hands wrung around one another, leaving wrinkles in his white gloves. Undyne sighed and put a hand on his arm.

“There’s nothing left to do, Papyrus,” she reassured him. “You’ve cleaned and organized the whole house three times in the last week. There’s nothing more for you to take care of work-wise. You’ve done plenty. And I swear to god if you don’t come to bed right now of your own free will I’m gonna throw you in. Got it?”

“BUT…” Papyrus looked back at the stacks still scattered around, yet to be organized. “IT’S NOT DONE…”

“Alright, you wanted this.” Undyne put an arm under his ribcage and hoisted him into the air with ease.

“ON SECOND THOUGHT, BED IS A SPLENDID IDEA, UNDYNE! I THINK I’LL GO THERE RIGHT NOW!”

“Nope, not quick enough!” Undyne grinned and tossed him over her shoulder, heading for the bedroom. Papyrus’ voice was rapidly rising in volume.

“UNDYNE, I DON’T THINK THIS IS NECESSARY—“

“It is until you learn not to stress yourself out so much, you numbskull!” She laughed, and kicked open the door to the bedroom. The bed stood directly in front of her, and she lined up the shot—

“MY SKULL IS MOST DEFINITELY NOT NUMB WHICH IS EXACTLY WHY I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS SITUATION _UNDYNE WAIT_ –OOF!”

Undyne dropped him unceremoniously onto the rumpled sheets, then flopped down next to him. Pulling him close to her until their foreheads touched and her arm completely encircled his practically nonexistent waist, she giggled and planted a kiss between his eyes.

“Go to sleep, you nerd,” she told him.

“I DON’T THINK IT’S REALLY NECESSARY,” he grumbled, but made no effort to move. “I DON’T NEED TO SLEEP.”

“Nah, but you should. You’re getting all worked up and nervous like you get. It’s bad for you. Plus I never get to cuddle you.” Undyne yawned and burrowed into her pillow, which was by now as pleasantly cool as Papyrus’ forehead.

“WELL, I SUPPOSE IF YOU REALLY NEED ME TO SLEEP THAT MUCH…”

“Sure, let’s go with that.”

“…THEN I, PAPYRUS, WILL MAKE AN EXCEPTION FOR TONIGHT.”

Undyne’s only response was a big toothy grin, and within moments she had drifted back off to sleep. Papyrus lay there for a little while more—sleep didn’t come easy when you didn’t need it to survive—but eventually, the stillness, the rhythm of Undyne’s breathing, her arm around him, managed to lull his racing thoughts to a manageable hum, and he closed his eyes and let himself fall asleep next to her.

**Author's Note:**

> Kinda wanted to play with the idea that Papyrus, in canon, doesn't sleep because he's "too busy"--which feeds into my headcanon that when he's not being productive and actively doing something he feels somehow bad and useless and gets kind of neurotic.
> 
> Because you know you're a nervous mess when Undyne of all people tells you to slow down and stop working so hard.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
